Alice Wallace, ‘Desert Rose’ [Exclusive Premiere]

Singer-songwriter Alice Wallace is premiering her new song "Desert Rose" exclusively for readers of The Boot. Press play below to listen to the soulful, simmering ballad.

Sonically, Wallace quietly evokes the sounds of the desert with sparse, occasionally Spanish-influenced guitars, while using the lyrics of "Desert Rose" to tackle a truly hot-button political issue: immigration. As she tells the tale of a woman (the "Desert Rose" herself) crossing the border from Mexico into Texas, Wallace explores the complicated choices immigrants make as they seek a better life.

According to Wallace, she took inspiration for "Desert Rose" from a story she heard from a friend in El Paso, Texas: "It was a heart-wrenching story about a woman who had come across the border from Juarez, Mexico," the artist shares.

"Immigration is a complex issue, but I wanted to strip away the politics and tell the human story of one person -- one woman -- and what she is willing to risk," Wallace tells The Boot. "Being born on this side of the river, we can’t imagine what it might be like to leave your family and everything you’ve known for a chance at something better. But perhaps we can understand it through the eyes of Desert Rose.”

A road warrior who's touring more than 200 dates a year, Wallace has shared the stage with artists including Texas icon Ray Wyile Hubbard while racking up accolades from critics in her home state of California and beyond. In 2019, she'll release her fourth full-length album, on which "Desert Rose" will appear. Titled Into the Blue, the record is Wallace's first release on Rebelle Road, a new label dedicated to "balancing equity for female artists."

Into the Blue is out on Jan. 18. Fans can pre-order the album via iTunes.